Valentine's Day Replacement for Teens

Many teens get wrapped up in the emotions that surround Valentine's Day. Some may make poor choices due to their "feelings" of love toward another.

Hormones are raging, the media is pouring on the love message, and peers may be pressuring teens to "go all the way" to show love.

A different kind of Valentine's Day celebration was celebrated in Ohio as reported from Christian Today:

Valentine’s Day is usually associated with red roses and crummy dates but for some teens in the U.S. this could not have been further from their reality. These teens opted instead to celebrate Valentine’s Day not by celebrating their love for another person but for God.

As couples around the world were busy dining in restaurants in ode to one another’s love, an increasing number of teens across North America were joining in celebrating the love of God as part of a new Valentine’s Day replacement, the “Day of Purity”.

Discussing strong emotions with teens is vitally important. They need to know that their feelings are not strange or abnormal, but they must learn to control them.

Honest, open discussions will help teens feel safe to share when these strong feelings emerge.

Finding new ways to celebrate "old traditions" will also help teens through some of the most difficult emotional times.

Teens Targeted for Identity Theft

If teens didn't have enough going on around them, now they are having to deal with identity theft.

Some teens must deal with strangers who steal their identity but, more often than not, more teens are facing identity theft from their own parents.

Parents get into financial difficulties and use their teens' social security number to open up alternate means of credit.

The Dallas Morning News reported:

A Houston student in one of Nevels' classes discovered her mother had stolen her identity when she was denied credit for a laptop for college.

"She said she'll just deal with it later," Nevels said. "She didn't want to deal with the conflict that she would have with her mother, who doesn't know that she knows."

Foley said her center has been getting "a lot of calls" on child identity theft," adding: "We're getting them from older teens, college-age students and from parents that someone in the immediate family is stealing a child's identity."

The fears of young victims are very real if they report the crime, Foley said.

Foley said she knows of three victims of identity theft by their parents who waited until they turned 18 to move out and report the crime to the police.

"They were afraid of the physical repercussions because they were still in the house," she said.

Young people need to learn early what identity theft is, Foley said.

"We need to start educating kids at the middle school and high school level about what is identity theft and that it's not right for somebody other than you to be using your Social Security number," she said.

The impact on young people can be far-reaching.

Teens face all kinds of issues from "without". Now they are having to face them from "within".

Teens' Decisions Based on Feelings

Often times teens do not realize how one mistake can impact their lives.

Their decisions are made based on how they feel at the moment.

Society teaches teens to feel and act instead of taking time to think about what their actions may do. Living this way causes many regrets and pain.

Lia McCord's story , from Houston, TX, is one example of how one mistake can alter life. Her dramatic story of one small decision detours her life for over four years in a Bangladesh prison.

Teaching teens to stop and think before acting may save them years of pain.

The Top Ten

David Letterman is known for his "Top Ten" list. The list is usually a synopsis of any given topic, in terms only a comedian could deliver.

While vacationing with friends one year we decided to make a Top Ten list of experiences over the course of the week. We made it together and still laugh about it today, and that was 8 years ago.

The difference between the two? David's list is geared toward everyone, but our list was personal. We chose things that were funny or important to us. If someone else were to read them, they would not understand all of them, nor would they appreciate their importance.

Having a Top Ten List for your family is a great way to keep everyone on the same page, and your parenting intentional. It is exactly what Mary DeMuth challenged her readers to do...

Make a list of 10 things you want your children to know before they leave the nest. How can you parent today so they'll know these 10 things?

Take some time to sit down and think about what you want your teens to know before they leave home. Be intentional about the time you spend, the words you say, and the actions you show them each day.

Expecations and Your Teen

With the presidential inauguration this week, most news stations are focused on the security, the performers, and of course, the president-elect Obama.

There is much talk about what Obama wants to do, what he promised to do, and what will actually happen. The whole nation has expectations about what Obama will do. Some will be thrilled, some will be disappointed. That's the nature of expecations.

People tend to have expectations of how things will happen, no matter the circumstance. It happens in politics and it happens at home.

Well meaning parents put pressure on their teen to act or be a certain way. Most of these parents truly do want what is best for their teen.

Teens rebel against expectations they do not feel they can meet and look to peers for support. Parents and teens stop talking and a divide between them grows.

Allowing teens to be who God made them to be will go a long way in helping bridge the gap. Accepting who they are and being open and honest will not only show support for your teen but will improve communication.

The bottom line is... your teen needs you. Not the you that expects them to be what you want them to be, but the you that listens and supports what THEY want to be and do.

Parents and Teens Can Talk Dating

It may not always seem easy, but it is possible for parents and their Christian teens to discuss important issues like dating and sex. No, it's not always comfortable, but those conversations are absolutely necessary. Teens need to know what the rules of dating are, and what their parents expectations are.

Yet, setting the dating rules may not be enough. There are a lot of temptations out there, and they aren't exclusive to non-Christian teens. It is so important that parents today have realistic conversations with their teenagers about sex and its impacts on teens. While the Bible provides a great background and foundation for the discussion, it is important that parents be open enough to realize that that foundation needs to be put in a modern and realistic context. The symbolism in Song of Solomon is beautiful, but teens need to understand what God is trying to say trough that symbolism.

So, parents and Christian teens need to get over the age difference and the discomfort to have a healthy and real dialogue about dating and sex. The open communication will go a long way in not only developing a healthy parent-child relationship, but also healthy interpersonal relationship.

-Kelli Mahoney, About.com

Internet Safety for Teens

Teens and the internet. Safety online is an ever-growing issue for parents.

In the New Year many parents are looking for way to keep not only their teen safe, but other children in the home as well.

Parents are striving to teach responsibility while using any type of technology. Gifts given during the holidays such as iPods, laptops, cell phones, and webcams require that the whole family learn to be safe and responsible.

Parents can minimize the risks associated with technology by knowing and educating their family about the three main risks.